Variable-speed driving mechanism.



Patented Feb. 4, I902. R. M. HEAD.

VARIABLE SPEED DRIVING MECHANISM.

(Application filed Aug. 15, 1900.]

(No Model.)

2 SheetsSheet I.

' INVENTbR I 4 7 III WITNESSES Patented Feb. 4, I902.

i R. HEAD. VARIABLE SPEED DRIVING MECHANISM.

(Applicatien filed Aug lfi, 1900.

(No Model.) 9 2 sh eetwsheeti.

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UNiTD STATES REUBEN- HEAD, OF ALLEGHENY,'PE NNSYLVANIA.

VARIABLE-SPEED DRIVING MECHANISM.

S?ECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 692,658, dated. February 4, 1902.

Application filed August 15, 1900. Serial No. 26,957. (No model.)

To all whom may concern:

Be it known that I', REUBEN M. HEAD, of the city and county of Allegheny, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and. useful Improvement in Variable-Speed Driving Mechanism, of which improvement the following is a specification. 7

My present invention relates to improve-i ments in variable-speed driving mechanism, and its general construction partakes largely of features somewhat more fully shown in my pending application, Serial No. 13,255, filed on or about the 17th day of April, 1900.

The object of my improvements is to provide a mechanism whereby the motive power delivered to a secondary wheel or shaft revolving in a fixed unchanging direction may be automatically increased or diminished by merely reversing or changing the direction in which the prime moving shaft, axle, or wheel rotates. It is applicable to bicycles, similarlypropelled vehicles, and to other forms of utilizing or converting mechanical energy. For convenience of illustration, however, l have shown the mechanism as applied to bicycles, and to that end have provided devices by means of which when the rider back-pedals or rotates the cranks in the reverse direction to that commonly used the gear of thebicycle, as it is termed, will be, decreased and the power correspondingly increased, so that a high driving-gear may be employed, while at the same time the gear may be automatically diminished by merely revolving the cranks in the opposite or reverse direction without recourse to any extraneous mechanism operated by hand from the top rail or handle bar. Referring to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate this specification, Figure 1 is a sectional plan of the mechanism as applied to bicycles of the sprocket-wheel class. Fig.2 is an inner elevation of a clutch-disk formed upon one of the cranks. Fig. 3 isa side elevation, partiallyin section, through segments bounded by the radial lines A X B and B X C as they diverge fromtheir common axial line X X, shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan of the mechanism as applied to bicycles of the bevel gear-Wheel class. Fig.

5 is a side elevation, partially in section, through the mechanism upon the line A B shown in'Fig. 4, a portion of the face-plate and of an inner plate being removed'to facili- V tate the illustration. I

In the before-mentioned figures like symbols of reference indicate like parts-or parts OCCUI'.

Referring to the same, 2 represents a crankaxle having cranks 3 3 seen red thereto by the fiat-headed tap-bolts 4 4. One of the cranks has the boss thereof enlarged to receive upon its inner face the alternate clutch-teeth 5, which are inclined in the direction of stress and adapted to engage with corresponding teeth 6 upon the exterior rim portion of the a drum 7, which is provided with a coned guardring 8, protecting the crank clutch-teeth 5. The drum 7carries the main driving sprocket .orbevel gear-wheel 9, and for the purpose of assembling and dismounting the parts is made separable, as shown by the interfitting-screwthreads 10, which connect the short thimble or cap-like. portion thereof with the enlarged extension of the same, the construction of which is integral with the internal gear-wheel 11, whose teeth are engaged by the pinionwheels 12, which in turn engage with a spurwheel 13, secured by the interfitt-ing slots 14 and lugs l5 upon the hollow shaft 16 and fastened thereto by the sleevenut 17, whose outer face is indented with slots 18, adapted to engage with corresponding lugs upon the rim portion of an adjusting tool or wrench. The hollow shaft .16, which surrounds the crank-axle, rotates upon ball-bearings19 and upon ball-bearin gs 20, interposed between the shaft and the drum, which sleeve in turn revolves upon ball-bearings 21 and upon ballbearings22, interposed between the drum and the hollow hub or crank-hanger 23. The pinion-wheels 12 have ball-bearings 24, rotating upon coned studs 25, affixed to the inner face of the spanner or carrier 26 and further so ICO hanger 23 and further secured thereto by the locking-tap or key-bolt 35. The collar 32 has a slight shoulder 36, against which the abutting ends of the clutch-rollers 31 are held by the check-ring 37, screwed upon the spanner or carrier hub 28 and locked thereto by a small countersunk bolt.

The crank-axle 2 has a pin 38 inserted therein, which projects through the .slot 39 in the hollow shaft 16. This slot is inclined at the same angle as the clutch-teeth 5 and is of sufficient length to produce a longitudinal movement of the crank-axle within the hollow shaft when the pin 38, projecting from the crank-axle, is swung through the small are bounded by the confines of the slot. This longitudinal movement of the crank-axle is of sufficient length to engage and disengage the crank-clutch 5 with the drum 7, carrying the main driving sprocket or bevel gearwheel 9. In consequence of the action of this pin and inclined slot a forward and downward pressure applied to the cranks will bring the clutch-teeth 5 into engagement with the drum 7, whereupon the main drivingsprocket or bevel gear-wheel 9 will be directly driven.

The spanner or carrier 26 and the pinionwheels 12 pivoted thereto revolve bodily therewith upon the clutch-rollers 31, which subsiding into the deeper portions of the recesses 29 rotate against the curvilinear faces of the projections 30 and of the inclosing collar 32, as shown in Fig. 5. When, however, in ascending or descending a hill or whenever desired backward and downward pressure is applied to the cranks, the pin 38 moving within the slot will disconnect the clutch-teeth from the drum 7, carrying the main drivingsprocket or bevel gear-wheel 9. Simultaneous with this movement the clutch-rollers 31 will be forced into the narrower confines of ward movement of the cranks continues the forward revolution of the main drivingsprocket or bevel gear-wheel unchanged as to its direction of rotation, but at a diminished speed, however, and consequent increase of power in the same relative proportion as the teeth of the spur-wheel are in number to those of the internal gear-wheel.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patout, is

1. In a variable-speed driving mechanism the combination of two clutches, with an inclosing drum, revolving in a fixed, unchanging direction, from which the power is delivered; intermediate gear-wheels connecting said drum, with a prime moving shaft or axle; means on said shaft or axle for alternately engaging and disengaging said clutches automatically, thereby increasing or diminishing the speed or power delivered from said drum and caused by a reversal of the direction in which the prime moving shaft or axle rotates, substantially as described.

2. In a variable-speed driving mechanism the combination ofa face-plate forming part of a clutch member and secured to a hollow hub or crank-hanger by a locking device, a spanner or carrier forming another portion of said clutch member, a crank-axle within a hollow shaft, a crank-arm forming part of a clutch member, an inclosing drum, from which the power is delivered, forming another portionof said clutch member, intermediate gear-wheels transmitting power from the hollow shaft to the inclosing drum, means on the crank-axle for alternately engaging and disengaging the clutch members and caused by a forward or backward movement of the crank-arm; substantially as described.

3. In a variable-speed driving mechanism, the combination of a crank-axle, a pin on the axle, a hollow shaft provided with an inclined slot, said pin extending into the slot and caused to move laterally in one direction when the revolution of the crank-axle is forward and in the opposite direction when the revo lution of the crank-axle is reversed, thereby moving the crank-axle longitudinally within the hollow shaft, a spur-wheel attached to the hollow shaft, a spanner or carrier, pinions carried thereby engaging with said spurwheel, a fixed collar, clutch-rollers carried by an extension of said spanner and adapted to engage said fixed collar to prevent rotation of the spanner or carrier in one direction, an inclosing drum, an internal gearwheel within said drum meshing with said pinions, one end of said drum forming a clutch member, a cooperating clutch member fixed to the crank-axle and means whereby power may be transmitted from said drum substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

REUBEN M. IIEAI).

Witnesses:

O. S. EDEBURN, WM. H. STERRILL. 

